Lighthouse
by Meztli14
Summary: Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. -Desmond Tutu. Part 4(B) of Mirage series. Endgame AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Here we are! Part four (B?) of the **_**Mirage**_** series. I highly recommend reading **_**Mirage**_** and **_**Gravity**_** before reading this as nothing will make sense. This is my Endgame sequel. The other one that I posted is **_**Ascension**_** and that is basically what would have happened had they killed Thanos at the end of Infinity War. Pretty much righting some wrongs. Also "part three" in the series, **_**Welcome Wagon**_**, is not required to reading **_**Lighthouse**_** or **_**Ascension**_**. It's basically my thoughts on what happened when Carol returned to Earth and then went and saved Tony. So not imperative to this story or **_**Ascension**_**. Everybody got it? Good, let's go.**

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Tony's messages had answered the turbulent question that'd plagued everyone's thoughts for weeks. Had their friend vanished in a flutter of ash? The collective sigh of relief was near physical. But it was the addition of Carol Danvers that had given the compound hope.

Without her abilities Tony's messages would have been only that, mere messages. The last words of a dying man. With Danvers on their side, the fantasy of rescuing their stranded friend was now in fact an actuality. Something Steve was beyond relieved about. It'd taken roughly more than an hour for Rocket to find his friend's ship, mostly due to vessel being offline, but once he'd found it?

It was barely a minute later that Rocket had the ship's location and possible trajectory downloaded onto the strange device that was embedded into the suit worn by the former pilot. They had taken a moment to get supplies for the trip, things the anthropomorphic raccoon had gathered to help getting into or restarting the aircraft. Bruce had also given Carol medical supplies to help with Tony, doing a quick rundown on how to use said devices.

With last minute words the human hybrid had taken flight in a brilliant burst of orange, disappearing into the black sky.

And now, just minutes later, everyone had spread out. Bruce, Pietro, and Natasha were setting up the infirmary and Steve knew Rhodey was outside with Pepper, trying to get her to come back in where it was warm. Rocket had stayed inside, working with FRIDAY to try and keep track of both Danvers and his friend's ship, Thor silent at his side. And Steve himself? He was climbing up a stairwell. But not just any stairwell. No, this one led to the roof, where there was someone he needed to see.

His first sight upon opening the door was the large tan dog. The pair entered a stalemate, the dog's wary eyes analyzing him for a few stiff seconds before it turned away, deeming Steve a non-threat. He followed the trotting creature further down the roof, the canine settling next to the man standing at the edge of the building, overlooking the property and dressed in dark colors, blending into the cover of night. Just the person the former Avengers leader had been looking for.

"Rogers."

Seeing as Steve knew Bucky the longest he was the only one of the surviving group that could immediately recognize the differences in posture and tone of voice.

"Sully." The super soldier greeted in return.

That earned a glance. The steel blue eyes he had grown up with, the same ones that had looked out at him from the face of his Goddaughter, were those of a stranger. Maybe not so much a stranger any more, especially these past several weeks. But it definitely wasn't his childhood friend. In fact it scared Steve just how little he saw of Bucky. But on the other hand he understood.

Ever since that afternoon.

When the Snap had happened and all their friends had disappeared in a flutter of dust.

When Wanda had disintegrated in Bucky's arms and he'd had a near breakdown, lashing out at Steve when he'd gotten too close in an effort to calm him. But then he'd gasped, breaking out of his near trance. His friend's face had paled, lip quivering and his eyes had been blown wide in terror. The Brooklyn native had muttered a choking plea before taking off into what seemed like a random direction. Except Steve had shared a glance with Okoye and his stomach had dropped, nausea almost overwhelming him.

Pietro and the three children he was suppose to be guarding.

Steve remembered the adrenaline coursing through him as the group had managed to find a functioning wave rider, speeding over terrain until Okoye had halted the transport in front of a large energy dome. Apparently Bucky also had a personal shield covering his property. Only authorized people would be able to pass through. The remaining Avengers had slipped out of the vehicle and made to follow after the Wakandan General but she'd stopped them. She'd then flicked at her bracelet, muttering their location before putting the beads away.

They'd only waited a few seconds when suddenly Pietro stood before them. But he'd been far from the self assured man they knew him to be. This version of him had stood on wobbly legs, threatening to give out at any moment. Silver hair that'd stood wild as if he'd gripped it too much and eyes that were red, swollen, with a shine of unshed tears. His arms and knees had also been covered in a layer of dust.

Pietro had only gaped at them for a second before he'd crumbled to the ground, the others surging forward to catch him. Steve had been one of those who reached the speedster first, murmuring reassurances. Though going off of Pietro's appearance Steve had known what happened. Okoye had told the group to stay and she'd walked back the way Pietro had come, slipping right through the shimmering barrier.

Steve had meant to stay with Pietro but the Sokovian had gripped at his uniform before slapping his bracelet into the soldier's hand. He'd muttered at him to go, desperate and urging. And that had scared Steve.

He'd quickly found out why.

This dome sealed off sound and Steve only discovered this when, using Pietro's bead, he'd passed through and been immediately assaulted with yells of anguish that echoed across the property, made especially potent by his enhanced hearing. It had been worse than the fall off the train. He knew the anger and pain he'd heard would haunt him till the end of his days.

Not wasting a second Steve had taken off, rushed by past a calling Okoye and had used his senses to pin point the source of the cries. He'd stopped at the crest of a hill, panting in fear, overlooking what had to be his friend's homestead

The painful howls had cut off only a minute ago, the silence adding a sense of foreboding as Steve studied the buildings at the bottom of the knoll.

He hadn't seen any movement and Steve had been sure Bucky wouldn't be in the house so that had left the woodlands surrounding the property. By that point Okoye had caught up to him and they'd split up to search for their metal-armed friend. It was only ten minutes later that he heard Okoye call for him.

The sight that had greeted him was unsettling.

Okoye, along with a large whining tan dog, had been standing back several feet, tense and she'd only managed a quick glance before focusing on what Steve himself was also seeing.

Several of the trees had been knocked over, splintered angrily mid-way through their trunks but all of them had the same markings. The bark had been gouged, scrapped, and stripped away. All stained crimson.

In the middle of the disaster had stood their friend, his back to them and the blood still freshly dripping off his battered right hand. It'd seemed that Bucky had taken his grief out on the trees, repeatedly slamming his fist against the wood. The fact that his metal arm was undamaged told Steve that Bucky had wanted to feel pain, to the point of mutilating his flesh hand. He'd wanted to feel a different kind of pain than what he had to be feeling in that moment.

But that hadn't been the only thing that had worried Steve. Bucky had been too quiet, too still, and Steve had realized why he'd felt such apprehension when coming upon this scene. He'd only taken a few steps forward when Bucky spoke. Or rather, his friend's voice had spoke.

"I had to stop him."

Steve had froze when the familiar face glanced over his shoulder at him, blank and stoic. The blond man had watched as brunette eyebrows furrowed when he'd looked down to study Bucky's bleeding knuckles.

The original super soldier eased forward. "Sully…"

"He wasn't going to stop." Steel blue eyes had studied the rivulets of blood that were trailing off his borrowed, swollen hand. "He wanted to keep going. To feel something…other." The alter, seldom seen, had turned to face Steve and Okoye. "I was created to protect James Barnes. And when his thoughts changed…when they started to turn…" He'd paused, locking eyes with Steve. "I had to step in. I had to protect him."

Steve pulled back from his memory of that day, back to the darkened roof top of the Avengers building. The blond glanced up at the sky. "What do you think?"

Despite Sully's past, Steve did trust him to have their back and he knew that the alter had already picked apart their visitor from the moment she had touched down. He wanted his opinion.

"So far everything checks out. Her file with the military was clean." Replied Sully, glancing up at the sky before turning his gaze back to the property. "There's not much on the files from Shield but that could be Fury's doing, which is probably why Hydra never really found out about her or that pager of his. I had FRIDAY check something. The gamma radiation she outputs when lit up is an identical match for the Tesseract, a bit more actually since it's an almost concentrated form." Sully paused, quiet for a second. "She reminded you of Barnes and me, didn't she?"

Steve nodded. As soon as she said she'd lost her memory, been manipulated by the Kree, the blond man couldn't help compare the parallels. Both had had friends, family before their accidents. Before they'd been snatched away and molded for someone else's purpose. But both had managed to make their way back to those same people, given a second chance. The difference was how much Bucky had had to suffer.

"I should probably leave."

Steve snapped back into the present. "What? No. Why? Why would you leave?"

This time Sully turned toward him, face stoic except for the slightest eyebrow raise. Which, coming from Sully, was highly expressive. "Tony Stark, whose parents I killed, will be coming back to the compound. A sacred place he built, where he lived at with his family before they fractured. I strongly doubt he'd like the cause of said fracture to be living here let alone having breathed in the direction of this place. We're lucky enough Potts allowed us to stay. But things have changed and it'd be better if we were gone before Danvers brings him back."

Steve could feel the anxiety churning in his stomach, a sense of fear. "But we-we don't know anything yet. Okay? Just-just not yet. Don't go."

Sully didn't say anything, just turned back to looking over the property, metal arm down at his side where he was gently petting Mango's head.

The enhanced Brooklynite swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Just-I'm gonna head in, check on the others, maybe take a shower. Get cleaned up. Don't leave, Sully. Please."

The alter said nothing but Steve did catch the slight nod. He let out a sigh, making his way off the roof and descending the stairs. After everything that had happened, one of his continuous fears was waking up one day and finding his friend gone.

The fact of the matter was that it was a real possibility.

Other than that first visit to Wanda and Jamie's room, that had nearly resulted in Bucky having another breakdown, the other super soldier hadn't wandered anywhere near that wing. Pietro still used his room but refused to enter his sister and niece's old dwelling.

Steve was sure that one day it would all be too much for Bucky and he'd leave, taking Pietro with him no doubt. And the former leader knew there'd be no way his oldest friend would go back to Wakanda, especially with the memories. It was unthinkable.

No, Steve was sure, if Bucky did leave, he'd never see his friend ever again.

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**Okay, we have chapter one of **_**Lighthouse**_**. My Endgame sequel to Infinity War with in my WinterWitch AU. Let me know what you guys think. Peace out. -Mez **


	2. Chapter 2

**It's been a while hasn't it? Sorry this is so late. My muse has been kinda meh lately so I type when I feel the urge but it's usually only for quick bursts at a time. And I also get distracted easily. Not to mention that I had to wait to post this because I hadn't finished the second chapter of Ascension yet. But I finished so here we are. As always gotta give thanks to bankai777 for favoriting and following and kaia the guest. **WARNING: thoughts and mention of suicide.****

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Steve had been completely serious with Natasha back on the ship. He **needed** this to work. He needed to bring these people back.

Steve had seen the haunted look in Tony's eyes when he'd spoke of losing the kid and he'd felt a quick lance of pain at the thought. He hadn't been idle during his run from the Accords; sure they'd helped people but Steve had also been keeping as much of an eye on Tony as he could.

He'd meant what he said about worrying over his friend being by himself, so he'd been happy to see the headline that Tony and Pepper had gotten back together. But because of it being the news he'd asked Natasha to send out feelers to verify the media's claim. He'd been over the moon when the rekindled relationship had been authenticated.

Steve had also kept an eye on Spider-man. The red and blue clad hero wasn't as well known as the others so most of Steve's information hadn't come from any large media outlets or official reports. No, his intelligence had come from posts of first hand accounts of people just going about their lives.

Someone posting a photo of Spider-man catching someone stealing a bike. Another photo of him collecting a wayward balloon for a child. A photo of him at a park, lightly scolding someone for not having their dog on a leash. Someone's post about overhearing Spider-man give directions in Spanish to a seemingly lost elderly woman.

Steve was happy to see someone taking care of those that were usually forgotten under heavier threats. Spider-man actually reminded the super soldier of Doctor Erskine.

_ "There are already so many big men fighting this war, maybe what we need now is the little guy."_

And Queens was a little guy_. _It hadn't taken long for Steve to figure out a pattern. Spider-man was always active after three in the afternoon and seen out as late as midnight or a bit later. Weekends saw an increase in activity, anywhere from roughly nine in the morning to nearly one or two in the morning. All that plus the team's interactions with him in Germany and it didn't take much to see that Queens was actually just a kid. Nothing middle school, but definitely high school.

He was young, definitely too young for Tony to have brought him to Germany. Steve had managed to let go of the flash of disappointment whenever he would think about it. But he'd also noticed the timeline when he'd researched Spider-man. The hero had been active for months before the whole deal with the Accords. Dressed in what had looked like sweatpants, a sweater, and some goggles, the young man had been caught on film swinging about New York. The webbing seemed to be a match before Germany and after so he was sure that Tony had had no hand in that. Steve had wondered if Queens made his own webs, organically or otherwise.

But using such a flimsy outfit for their line of work was dangerous and Steve had been worried about the arachnid-themed hero swinging around New York in his colored cotton. However, his worries were put to rest with the release of a new video after their fight in Germany that showed Queens helping an woman carry her many bags of groceries from the bus stop to the steps of her apartment complex, all the while wearing the new suit. Steve had smiled at that. Tony would look out for the kid.

A shuffling from the man next to Steve brought back his awareness to one of the other reasons for doing this.

He hadn't been sure what kind of reaction he'd get from Sully and Pietro when he searched the pair out to tell them about the team's plan to bring back all those lost. Pietro had been all for it, nearly blurring away in determination. He'd only been halted by the vibranium arm that had snapped out to snatch him before he took off. Predictably Sully hadn't wanted to let Bucky know of the plan, in case it failed. In fact the alter had told Steve and Pietro he wasn't even going to tell him but apparently Bucky had been simmering just under the surface and had managed to catch little whispers of what the other three were talking about.

It had been one of the quickest, most startling transitions Steve had witnessed from his friend.

One second Sully had been shaking his head, rejecting the invitation to go along with the crew to where Thanos had settled; the other second had Steve being seized by the arms in a vice grip and Bucky, with wide wet eyes and a trembling voice, asking if it was true, if it was possible to bring the others back. The speed and explosiveness had froze Steve for a second before he'd relented and told his heartbroken friend all they were planning.

Bucky had changed and armed himself in less then eight minutes, stalking through the building to get to the ship outside. It had been the most expressive he'd seen his friend since that afternoon.

Sully had surfaced for a second, enough to let Steve know how against he was of this plan before Bucky had taken over again, eager to leave already. Pietro had been all for the trip but he'd been talked down by the other super soldier. If they were bringing everyone back, someone needed to be there to welcome back and reassure the children.

The Sokovian had not been happy about that.

The pair had argued, loudly on the front lawn of the compound but the others weren't sure what was said as it had all been in the twins' native language. In the end Bucky had won, Pietro throwing his hands in the air and stalking away. A quinjet had lifted off not too long later, heading East.

Now they were here, Natasha, Bucky, Nebula, Rocket, and himself stalking forward as the others took their cues in subduing Thanos.

The home he had for himself seemed like something of a tropical design, of which Steve had seen pictures of the Pacific Islanders of Earth use for their structures. The scene they were met with upon entering the wooden hut showed that the plan had worked, with Danvers and Rhodey holding down the tyrant, severed arm lying a few feet way.

Rocket bounded forward, flipping the discarded arm over to display the stones. Except there were no stones. Just empty niches. Steve exchanged a glance with Natasha, aware of Bucky twitching next to him.

"Where are they?"

Steve's question went unanswered for a few nanoseconds too long, enough to unhinge Bucky. The other Brooklynite lashed out, a knife near materializing in hand, and sinking the serrated blade into the bloodied stump.

"Where are the stones!?" Bucky growled, teeth bared as he slowly turned the instrument. Thanos let out a painful shout and Steve moved forward to pull his upset friend back.

Danvers tightened her arm, glowing ominously. "Answer the question."

Thanos grunted at her handling. "The universe required correction. After that, the stones served no other purpose. Only temptation."

Bucky let out a roar, Steve having to exert more strength to keep him at his side. Bruce had no such prevention.

"You murdered trillions!" The shove delivered by the scientist sent Thanos out of Rhodey and Danvers' hold, sailing several feet and landing with a slam.

The tyrant glared up at them. "You should be grateful."

"You son of a bitch!"

Steve clenched his teeth, locking his hands together around Bucky's frame as his friend thrashed in his arms, roaring in pain and obscenities while Bruce lashed out again, striking Thanos across the face.

On the other side of him Natasha stepped forward. "Where are the stones?"

The disfigured alien spat at them. "Gone. Reduced to atoms."

"You used them two days."

"I used the stones to destroy the stones. It nearly killed me. But the work is done, it always will be." Thanos sat up, sneering at the team. "I am inevitable."

Bucky had quieted down to growling, but Steve knew the anger was simmering just under the surface. From across the room Rhodey shifted restlessly.

"We have to tear this place apart. He-he has-he has to be lying."

"My father is many things." This came from Nebula, finally speaking as she slowly stepped forward. "A liar is not one of them."

"Ah, thank you daughter," spoke Thanos, eyes on the blue-skinned woman.

In his arms Bucky's growls grew louder at the words exchanged between the pair. His friend was a real father, not the homicidal alien before them. And Steve knew it burned at Bucky, angered him that Thanos considered himself the one title his friend cherished the most.

"Perhaps I treated you too harshly."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth Thor let out an angry shout, his axe arching through the air.

The room froze, even Bucky had fallen silent as the corpse and head settled. Only Rocket spoke, his voice in slight disbelief. "What? What did you do?"

Thor stared at his work, voice hoarse. "I went for the head." The Asgardian royalty turned and stumbled off, leaving the room to its horrific realization.

This had been it, their second chance. And now they had nothing. Their loved ones lost for good.

In Steve's arms Bucky slumped, the slight tremors shuddering through his frame growing into full shakes. The dead weight of his friend prompted him to gently ease the other man to the floor. "Bucky?"

The sudden roar of anguish had the team jolting, watching Bucky grab at his hair as he continued screaming his heartache. Steve had been witness to this sorrow before, on that afternoon, and he realized the others were witnessing this for the first time.

"Steve?"

The blonde held out an arm, halting Rhodey in his steps. The whirling mechanics from the suit had let Steve know that the retired airman had eased forward, no doubt wanting to help. But he knew that if anyone other than himself intervened, they could get seriously hurt. Especially seeing how Bucky had reacted last time Steve had tried to comfort him in that clearing weeks ago. Unfortunately, as sad as it was, this was Bucky's outlet for pain. They would need to wait him out. He also knew if it got bad, Sully would take over.

The structure under their feet gave a great shudder as Bucky launched himself forward, metal fist destroying the hut's wall as his vibranium arm sank elbow-deep. More pain-filled shouts echoed in the small home as the dark-haired soldier reared back repeatedly, each cry out emphasized with a blow to the crumbling wood.

It seemed like his anger drained quickly and Steve watched as the punches weakened, then completely stopped, Bucky's metal fingers scraping wood as he used the obliterated wall to slide to the floor.

There was no more rage-filled screaming. No, it had been replaced with heart-wrenching sobs that Bucky didn't attempt to muffle.

Rhodey left first, his hand gentle around Danvers' elbow as he led the misty eyed pilot out the hut, giving Steve a small subdued nod as the pair passed. Rocket was next, prodding the bulky armor to get Bruce's attention, prompting the scientist into following him out the door, Nebula not far behind.

Steve remained, glancing over his shoulder at Natasha who answered his silent question with a straightened back and tight jaw. She was gonna stay.

"Bucky?" The blonde soldier eased forward, trying not to startle his friend. The other man had quieted down, his breathing a little heavy and eyes fixated on Thanos' corpse, but he didn't react to Steve's words.

Natasha's hand gripped his shoulder suddenly, causing him to look away from his dark haired friend and up to the blonde woman behind him. Something was wrong. Natasha was tense, and she was looking from Bucky to Thanos' corpse, her grip tightening as he tried to understand what was wrong.

He turned to study his friend, the other man's breathing a bit deep but he seemed unresponsive, his gaze locked on the tyrant Thor had beheaded. What were they looking…_oh_.

Steve had shifted the tiniest bit, trying to follow Bucky's line of sight and he discovered what Bucky was really staring so intently at.

The vibranium knife he had stabbed Thanos' stump with lay a few feet from the dead tyrant, covered in purple blood. And with a sharp intake of breath, Steve remembered what Sully had said that day.

_ "I had to stop him…when his thoughts changed…when they started to turn…I had to step in."_

"Sully!" yelled Steve, just as Bucky made his move.

The thunderous crash that shuddered the wooden hut was in thanks to the force of Steve's tackle, sending the flailing pair flying across the floor. Steve wrapped his friend in a bear hug, trying to ignore his pleas of release tinged in agony and slight hysteria.

"Sully, help!" His cries remained unanswered and Steve wondered if Bucky was blocking the alter on purpose. Or was his pain just so great the personality was buried underneath it all.

"Steve!"

The blonde soldier managed a glance around amidst restraining his friend, catching sight of Rhodey and a glowing Danvers, both seeming a bit confused. The rest of the group arrived and he could see Natasha scurry behind them, watching warily with the knife clutched in her hands. She must have launched herself at it to keep it away from Bucky in case Steve hadn't been able to stop him.

"Steve?"

He could hear Rhodey ask again, uncertain about what was happening but Steve ignored him, intent on restraining his friend who had stopped demanding to be released and was now limp, whimpering in his arms.

It hurt him to see Bucky this way. Wanda and Jamie had been his second chance. The twins were almost a testament to his long but progressing recovery. They had grounded him, tethered him away from the dark thoughts that surely plagued his friend. They were proof that he was more than just a killing machine, an assassin, the "Fist of Hydra."

Bucky was a man who loved and was devoted to only one woman, who was also devoted to and loved by in return. He was the father of three innocent, pure souls who thought the world of him. They were his life, the center of his universe.

And that universe was gone. Extinguished in a literal snapping of fingers.

"Bucky?" Asked Steve, loosening his grip slightly with the dead weight in his arms. But that proved to be a mistake.

The brunette super soldier exploded into action, shoving Steve with such force he sailed across the length of the cabin, Danvers' glowing form the only thing able to stop his flight.

"Barnes!"

"Steve!"

The chorus of panicked yells had Steve scrambling to his feet. His stomach ached and dropped in horror at the sight before him. Bucky standing firm in the middle of the cabin, face crumpled in pain and eyes wet with falling tears. And his left arm up, pressing a pistol against his temple.

"No!" Steve screamed just as a vibranium finger pulled the trigger.

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**So there you go. Stay tuned, this is gonna pick up some speed (hopefully). Until then, peace out. -Mez**


	3. Chapter 3

**With everything going on in the world I just wanna say one thing. STAY HOME! Stay home, just stay home. Please for the love of God stay home. It's not that hard. As an essential worker I need to go to work. Hell my whole family are classified as essential workers so that's even worse as it's five times more of a chance that the whole family, plus two kids under the age of ten, can get sick. STAY HOME.**

**Now that that is out of the way, here we are. Finally the third chapter of Lighthouse. But I try to post both Ascension and Lighthouse at the same time with the same numbered chapter so this took a bit. Some people to thank: deathwatch and kaia the guest. ALSO: Mention of suicide. You have been warned. Let's go.**

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Steve could be honest and say he had been relieved to see Tony pull up to the Compound. As much as he loved Bruce he knew they would have floundered for months trying to figure out both the quantum realm and how to use it to time travel. And while it was true Tony's genius was unparalleled and desperately needed, the Brooklynite was also just happy to see, be around, and work with his, hopefully, friend again.

But at this moment, driving through the Vermont countryside with Tony in the passenger, he was apprehensive. When the other man had shown up and asked if they were getting a whole team they had actually been ahead of him. Nebula and Rocket were inbound and upon arrival Rocket and Bruce were gonna head over to New Asgard. Rhodey was already on his way to the Compound and Natasha had also just left, piloting a quinjet to Japan.

As for Steve, he had already been set to take this trip but he figured it'd be best for Tony to come with. To get it out of the way. He hoped he was right.

"So who are we seeing?" asked Tony when Steve stopped the car in the long drive way leading to the large farm house in the distance, not unlike Clint's old home when they had to hide from Ultron. It was faded white, three stories with a covered porch, and dark green roofing. A very typical New England country home.

The genius glanced over at him as the pair stepped out of the car. "You're being very secret-squirrelly about this. Seriously who lives up here?"

Before Steve could answer their possible recruit suddenly appeared at the front bumper, studying them.

Blue eyes took in the super soldier. "Steve." Those same irises glanced over to the silent man on the passenger side. The blond watched the tense stand off between the pair, knowing that according to the others the two hadn't left off on the best of terms last time they saw each other. Steve wasn't one to hold onto grudges much but he knew that wasn't the case for everyone, especially the younger man before them.

At last the white-haired man gave a nod. "Hello Tony."

His voice seemed to shake the elder out of his stupor, sending a nod back along with an awkward wave. "Hey Pietro."

The Sokovian gave the faintest of smiles before looking to Steve again, shifting to wariness. "Your phone call, you said you wanted to talk. About what?"

"Probably be better to sit down somewhere, it's a long story."

Pietro's eyes turned hard, crossing his arms. "Then give me short story. Only then will I decide if you come inside for long story."

Steve could see Tony glancing back and forth between them, no doubt reading the tension between him and Pietro. As far as Tony knew the pair were friendly toward each other but things had changed.

Steve let out a small sigh. "We might have figured out a way to bring everyone back-"

"Like last time." Pietro's voice was steel, accent heighten with sharp edges, matching the glare now directed at the super soldier.

"No." Steve tried to placate. "This one is tangible. Real."

Pietro was quiet, studying Steve before he spoke again, instead turning to the genius. "Tony, you are here which means you know what the plan is and are making whatever might be needed. Can it work?"

Tony hesitated for a moment, probably still put off by Pietro but he ended up nodding. "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. I can make what we need but whether the actual plan works is something else entirely. Just…hear us out."

Pietro's face was stone, his eyes glancing back and forth between them. Finally he gave a short nod. "Come up to the house, make sure to wipe your feet at the door."

And then he was gone.

Tony looked over at Steve, his arms up in the air. "You couldn't have mentioned him during the drive?"

The super soldier starting walking down the gravel road toward the house. Pietro wasn't the reason for his silence.

**~~~Lighthouse~~~**

Tony wasn't sure what he was expecting when he suddenly found himself at Pietro's home but the Dora Milaje who answered the door definitely wasn't it. Especially the curly-haired child strapped to her back by a blanket. Steve greeted them both by the names Nceba and Luka while Tony could only manage a small wave.

She nodded at them both and beckoned them to follow through the house. Tony trailed behind Steve, and maybe because he was a father now, but he couldn't help watch Luka. The toddler, no more than possibly two years old with blue eyes, was turned around and looking at the pair. Or really looking at Tony.

He had given the soldier a smile when they saw each other, which meant chances were that Luka knew him well and was use to the blond's presence but he'd never met Tony. Which explained the stare down the older man was getting.

They turned down a hallway off the living room, bypassing a couple closed doors before stepping through an opened doorway, a mix of an office and library, where they were met with four other kids reading, all in various ages and races. Tony quirked an eyebrow as Nceba gave a few words that scattered the children, leaving the adults alone.

"Wait just a moment." Nceba gave them both nods before leaving, little Luka flashing a quick wave. The click of the door closing was loud in the room.

"Okay, what just happened?" Tony asked, walking over to the shelves of photos to investigate further.

From behind him Steve's voice floated through the room. "In the beginning, after Thanos, a lot of kids orphaned. Pietro and Nat started rounding up the ones that had no extended family or nowhere to go. They found this place, set everything up. It got harder for Natasha to do this and Avenging so Pietro took over, with some help from a few others."

Made sense, at the time Pietro probably had the most experience taking care of children behind Clint. A picture of Nceba and Pietro caught Tony's attention. They were somewhere tropical, Wakanda no doubt, and both had on smiles with the speedster's arm wrapped around the woman's waist. The next photo of them was much more subdued, probably after Thanos, the smiles not as bright but still happy considering Nceba's swollen stomach.

"Her and Pietro huh? They get married?"

"Yeah. Been a few years now."

Shit, he was so far out of the loop he didn't even know when a former teammate had gotten married and had a kid.

Another photo, this one candid, had only Pietro but this time he was holding a swaddled baby, gazing down at the newborn with what could only be wonder. Tony remembered those moments holding Morgan at that age. "And Luka, how old is he?"

"He turned two last month."

Tony caught a few more pictures, of Pietro and his family, a few of Nceba and various children, from the orphanage he was sure. He froze on one particular picture.

It was Wanda and Jamie. Both wore large identical smiles and blue hats, cuddled close in the photo. God, when was the last time he had seen Jamie? The week of the Accords? She'd been younger than even Luka though her enhancements had always made her seem older. In the picture she was around three or four, which meant… There was a lump in Tony's throat. She would have been around the same age as Morgan when she'd been taken.

Ignoring the burn in his eyes, he kept going, seeing a snapshot of Pietro mid laugh with Jamie hanging off his neck. Wanda and Jamie asleep, the little girl sprawled on top of her mother. Another picture of Wanda and…

Tony took a step closer, because he had to be wrong. But even the shortened distance couldn't change what he was seeing.

Holy shit. He was looking at a picture of Wanda and _Barnes_. What the hell. She was smiling, they both were, and they looked _happy_. They looked…like a couple?! Barnes, quirked smile, was sitting down on a couch with a grinning Wanda side-cuddling innocently on his lap, the soldier's hands lightly clutching her waist and thighs. And was one of those hands flesh?

Tony kept looking, eyes greedy as he took it all in. Another photo, this one a close up with their heads tilted together, both doing goofy faces to the camera. One photo with the Maximoff twins, Nceba, and Barnes all sitting on benches with a large dog at their feet and a lake in the background during what looked like a barbeque somewhere tropical. Wakanda again?

Then he saw a picture of a smirking Barnes holding an equaling smirking Jamie.

Tony was so sure even Steve could hear the synapses firing off in his brain. He knew he practically could. The color of the eyes, the shape and curve of the lopsided smirk. Suddenly it was like the floor had disappeared beneath his feet, remembering all the little pieces that were now sliding into place.

The matching slate blue eyes. Their glares identical. Tony remembered Barnes' stony expression in Berlin and he pulled up the various memories of Jamie's own glower, like when Clint smeared her face with frosting or, more abundantly, the scowl she always directed at Vision.

The toddler's accelerated development that Tony was now certain had nothing to do with Wanda's stone-given enhancements and everything to do with Barnes' Hydra serum.

Not only that, Tony had studied Barnes' file repeatedly. There had been a hole spanning a couple of months at the beginning of two-thousand fourteen, right up until just a few days before the whole Shieldra mess, when Wanda and Pietro had already been embroiled with the organization. He'd just thought Hydra had him in storage but apparently not. Jamie had been about four months old when they met her which would have put her conception…just before the Shield exposure.

Wanda had even made Steve Jamie's godfather. Had she know the entire time or did she only find out after becoming an Avenger?

Hell even the girl's name was a give away. Jamie, the fucking feminine form of James. What kind of genius was he? Had Pietro known this entire time? Steve?

If this was five or four years ago Tony would have probably lost it. But now, he wasn't sure what he was feeling. He wanted to be angry but just felt empty. He had been telling the truth when he'd told Steve resentment was corrosive and he hated it. But actual hate, the same he'd had those years back for Barnes, it was just as corrosive and oh so tiring to maintain.

So he pushed back whatever grim feelings were trying to build within him and kept studying the pictures, getting a different perspective of the man he'd once tried to kill.

There were more photos of a smiling Barnes and Jamie that also starred others, most with Wanda but Pietro made a few appearances along with Nceba, Shuri, T'Challa, and even Okoye. Surprisingly he didn't see any of Steve or the rogue Avengers. Unsurprisingly, he knew Steve would have kept himself and the others away if it meant keeping the small family safe.

God only knew what would have happened had Ross found out about Jamie. No doubt she'd be poked, prodded, and torn apart for "science." Pietro's words from all those years ago flashed through his head. Thank God the Accords had gotten abolished. Even then, Tony would have put a repulsor blast through the man before he even touched her.

_ Oh_. Tony froze, his mind churning at his new finding. The photo showed Wanda laying down with a grin while Jamie and Barnes were on the either side of her, kissing the Sokovian's lightly swollen belly. Oh God.

Uneasy Tony jumped from one photo to another, watching as Barnes' smile grew wider and giddier while Wanda's stomach expanded larger and larger. Far larger than even Pepper or how Laura had been those years back. And considering the Maximoff siblings, could only mean…

There it was. Barnes and Wanda were smiling, tired but happy, in the middle of a group that consisted of Jamie, Shuri, Pietro, T'Challa, Queen Ramonda, Nceba, and Okoye. In Queen Ramonda and Pietro's arms was a child each, both wrapped in a vibrantly colored blanket, Shuri on her mother's side looking two seconds from snatching the baby away.

There were other pictures, Barnes smiling and holding both babies in his arms with Jamie hanging around his shoulder as she gazed down at her siblings, Shuri and Ramonda playing with the new twins, the family of five with the others at a clear lake. There was quite a few with the family at what looked like a homestead with a round shaped home, chicken coop, and a goat pen too by the looks of it. Another photo of Jamie and the Barnes twins who seemed to be in the _very early_ walking-running stage, no doubt thanks to the serum coursing through their veins, standing amongst a garden.

But, studying the photos, Tony could see when the ages of the kids stopped. Which could only mean one thing. The genius' next words were hoarse. "The twins too?"

The taller man knew what he was asking. Steve was quiet for a moment before letting out a soft, "Yeah."

"Shit." Tony looked down, trying to gain control. God if he lost Pepper and Morgan.

The door creaked open just then and Tony turned around to face the Maximoff male. "Pietr…"

But he trailed off on whatever he was going to say because the Sokovian wasn't alone. Entering the room behind Pietro was Nceba sans Luka and…Barnes. He was just as large as he last saw him but he seemed more drawn inward, and his hair was cut short, even shorter than the old videos from the war. He wore jeans, a navy t-shirt and, regardless of being inside, a dark jacket. But it was the man's expression that threw Tony.

Blank. That's how he would describe him. The smiling man from the photos was so vastly different, such at odds with who was before him Tony was sure this wasn't even Barnes. It couldn't be. No, this person was who he fought in Berlin. This was the Winter Soldier. What the fuck.

Nceba placed herself by the door, spear in hand while Pietro stood at her side with arms crossed and Barnes, or whoever this was, took the seat behind the desk.

He nodded at Tony, "Stark," and seemed only to just be able to hold back a scowl at Steve. "Rogers."

If the barely veiled hint of hostility from Barnes to his old friend was surprising to the genius then Steve nodding back with a sad expression and greeting him with the name, "Sully," completely threw the elder Stark.

"I'm sorry," Tony lifted a hand. "I'm a bit confused. Why does Ice Bear look like he wants to punch Capsicle and why did you call him Sully?"

Barnes, or Sully or whoever this person was, raised an eyebrow at Steve, lips thinning into a frown and damn if Jamie hadn't used that same expression whenever someone had tried to use baby talk on her.

"Let me guess, you didn't tell him."

Steve let out a sigh. "Kinda hard to explain, especially considering the circumstances."

Sully or Barnes, whatever, let out an almost dismissive hum, turning to Tony. "I'm not Barnes. I technically have no name but I've been called a few names over the years. Asset, Fist of Hydra, _Zimniy Soldát_-"

Tony stopped him with a sharp wave of his hand. "You-you're the Winter Soldier?"

"In a way." This was from Pietro who wandered closer to Barnes' side, Nceba looking tense at her post. It struck Tony that they were preparing for a fight. Of course they would be thinking that if his and Barnes' last meeting was anything to go by. But he didn't want to fight.

He tried relaxing his body, speaking causally. "What does that mean?"

"It means that was just what Hydra called me but they're not the ones who made me," spoke the dark haired man. "Barnes did. I'm an alternate personality of his. Sully is the name Jamie gave me."

Alternate personality? Tony wagged a finger at the man behind the desk, motioning to his person. "So this is a Sybil thing?" He got three blank, confused stares for his quip. Tony almost sighed. Why did everyone have atrocious pop knowledge? "A TV show starring Sally Field about a woman with Multiple Personality Disorder. Which is apparently an actual thing."

"They don't call it that any more." Steve spoke up, sounding tired suddenly. "Dissociative Identity Disorder. In an effort to protect himself from what Hydra did to him Bucky's mind broke, shattered. These 'personalities' would take over when things got bad. Sully was one of four."

"Usually people with DID had some kind of trauma, more often than a severe case of physical and-or sexual abuse, as kids and it all manifests when they're older." Barnes, or Sully he supposed, kept eye contact with Tony as he spoke. "But for Barnes it was the war plus all that Hydra did to him. The surgery on the arm, the verbal, physical, and psychological abuse, not to mention who knows how much volts they shot through his brain. All that taking place continuously for twenty years was bound to have an impact."

Tony was quiet, trying to come to terms with the information given to him. He'd read the files back after the fall of Shieldra and Steve coming to him for help. He'd only been able to stomach the first three before he'd had Jarvis scan them and give him the footnotes.

"And the others? The three other personalities?"

"Gone more or less. They merged back with Barnes you could say. They were created before me, at the beginning years of captivity. Maybe even when Hydra first grabbed him back in forty-four. And they did help him. At least for awhile. After nearly twenty years of Hydra's torture even the personalities meant to protect him were in pain and then I was created. I did what it took to keep Barnes and the others safe."

Tony ignored that last statement and instead nodded that he understood. He'd have to research this condition when he got back to the compound.

"Now that story time is over," Sully leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. "Pietro told me you wanted to talk. So talk."

Tony glanced over at Steve unsure of how to start this conversation, especially considering Pietro's reaction earlier. He wasn't sure how Sully would take it.

"Scott calls it The Time Heist." Steve started, nodding in his direction. "Tony figured out the how-to, so he just needs to make it and test it out. Once that's done, we pick the targets and-"

"You're stalling." Sully was frowning at Steve. "What are you really planning? What's the reason for all this?"

The pair entered a slight stare down, enough tension that Tony couldn't help himself. "We're gonna use time travel to get the infinity stones from other points in history and bring them here so we can use 'em ourselves. To bring the others back."

Tony got a quick glance and a raised eyebrow from Sully before the brunet turned back to Steve, glaring at the other super soldier. "Is he telling the truth? Is that why you're here? You're looking for help?"

Steve paused and Tony could see him tense up. It took another second before the blond spoke. "Yes."

Sully leaned back, his expression more of a grimace. "I can't speak for Pietro or even Nceba, if they wanna go with you to help that's fine." At this Sully stood up, scowling at Steve. "As for me, I don't want anything to do with this."

Tony was startled by the turn of events, hearing the biting tone in Sully's words. Steve took a few steps forward, Nceba matching him with her spear tilting forward but Sully stopped her with a quickly spoken word of Xhosa.

The tall blond, for his part, stayed where he was especially with the way Nceba was glaring at him. "Please Sully. This isn't like last time-"

"This is exactly like last time." The other man growled. "I told you then how bad of an idea it was. Giving him hope, feeding it. And when your plan failed? Well, we all know how that turned out. I was made to protect Barnes and I almost failed because of you."

"Sully-"

Sully jabbed a finger at Steve, growling. "Don't Rogers. I'm not gonna risk it. Not after last time. If Nceba and Pietro want to help I have no problem with that. They don't need my permission but they have my blessing. But like I said, I won't be involved."

The super soldier left, passing the married couple and slamming the office door. Tony's mind was racing. What had happened in the last few years that had led to this?

Steve let out a sign, turning to the couple still in the room. "That went better then I expected."

Nceba quirked an eyebrow. "That was better than expected?"

Steve gave a slight shrug. "He didn't hit me." Pietro nodded in agreement.

"So…" Tony trailed off, looking at the pair. "Whose up for a DeLorean road trip?"

Pietro looked over at Nceba. "Head out to the cars, we'll be a moment."

The two former co-leaders saw themselves out, giving little waves and slight smiles to the numerous children that peered curiously back at them from doorways. They were just reaching the car when Tony couldn't help himself.

"What happened last time?"

Steve turned to him. "Hmm?"

Tony waved a hand behind himself, indicating the house. "I must have heard those words at least four, five times. 'Last time. Last time.' And it was damn near always said with some kind of anger. So what's this infamous 'last time'?"

Steve let out another sigh, leaning against the front fender. "Bucky…Bucky had been holding Wanda when she-when it happened. And he immediately spiraled. Tearing at his hair, choking on air, he just wasn't breathing. Started shaking. I tried talking to him, letting him know I was gonna touch his shoulder but he was too far in his head to register. He gave me a good shove. And then suddenly he gasped and took off." The blond paused, his face falling further. Tony had a feeling he knew where this was going. "Wanda and Buck had had Pietro watching the kids back at their place. And when he got there…Pietro was by himself. Jamie. Alec and Stephanie. They were…they…" Steve shook his head.

Son of a bitch. Tony let out a sigh. "Was that the 'last time?'"

"No actually. Last time was right when you got back to Earth. We all decided to go after Thanos, to get the stones from him. Bucky…hadn't been Bucky for awhile. Sully had taken over in the weeks after the first snap. So when I told them the plan, Pietro was all for it but Sully didn't like it. He didn't want to tell Bucky about it but apparently he was just below the surface and he heard what we were planning and managed to take back control. He suited up and joined us. But…" Steve paused, his voice just a bit shaky. "But when we found out Thanos had destroyed the stones? When we lost our chance at getting everyone back? Bucky, he…he uh.."

"He put a gun to his head."

The two men jolted at the new voice, turning to see that Pietro had crept up on them, duffel bag hanging from his hand and eyes glaring at Steve. "That's what you were going to say, weren't you?"

Shit. Shit. Barnes had… Tony was suddenly reminded of Clint. He'd lost his family the same way and he'd gone off the rails. Tony felt shame bloom. He knew what had happened, Natasha had gone to the new house and found it deserted. Tony had been angry, too angry at Steve in the beginning, and Clint had slipped through the cracks. Would Clint have done the same thing? Would he have attempted the same desperate move only to think of the now alternative? Or would Barnes have drifted like Clint had?

"Without Wanda and the children James went mad. And he pulled the trigger." Pietro opened the back passenger door and threw the bag in but stayed put, staring at Tony as he spoke. "Sully tried to take over but James was too desperate, too determined so he did the only thing he could do. He took control of James' hand, managing to move the barrel up just in time. The bullet only grazed him, healing in less than an hour, but the damage was already done. After that James let go and Sully took over. That is 'last time.'"

Pietro flicked his eyes at the blond soldier before ducking down into the car, the door snapping shut. Tony let out a ragged breath, turning to see the quiet devastation on Steve's face before it smoothed over, the only hint of turmoil being the furrowing of his brows.

"When was the last time you actually saw or talked to Barnes?" Tony wasn't sure why he asked. He had a feeling he knew the answer, they pretty much had spelled it out, but he was kinda hoping for a different response.

Steve didn't say anything, staying where he was leaning up against the car, but then he straightened and went to open the driver door. Only to pause. Blue eyes shot up to meet Tony's own.

"Five years. The last time I spoke to or saw Bucky was five years ago." With that Steve got back into the car, leaving Tony by himself as he mulled over all he'd learned in the small amount of time they'd been up here.

Pietro had gotten married and had a kid while Barnes was a bona fide Sybil who just happened to be Jamie's father but also the father of two more kids with Wanda. And he'd gone suicidal when he'd lost them all.

Tony lowered himself in the car, gaze turned out the window as the car began moving, the children's home falling further and further behind.

He thought about Barnes holding Wanda as she disappeared, wondered if she had clung to the man as Peter had clung to him, desperate to stay. A glance at his wedding ring had him thinking of Pepper and Morgan but also the one photo he had spotted in that office.

Wanda and Barnes' positions, smiles on their lips as they gazed at each other, Jamie at their hip, smiling wide. Shuri behind Wanda with a bouquet of wild flowers and a larger man, M'Baku if Tony remembered, at Barnes' back, a little off to the left. T'Challa and Queen Ramonda standing in the middle of the pair, just a bit outside. And everyone was dressed in vibrant yet extravagant attire. Special attire.

Tony clenched his left hand, feeling his ring dig into his flesh. That was one thing he was sure he had in common with Barnes. Would he turn suicidal? The jury was still out on that but lose his mind? No doubt. Tony knew he'd go mad if he lost his wife and child, his family. Like Barnes had lost his.

* * *

**Writing Tony is very difficult. He's got great quips while I have none. I never what to do that again. Hopefully that'll be the last time. Also came up with some ideas for TFAWS and WandaVision(more likely a one shot as it doesn't match my world) but also at least a couple of fics Post Endgame but also alternate timeline. One fic starring two very special people. Already typing that one up but I can't post it until Lighthouse is finished. Anywho hope everyone liked it. Not sure when I'll post again. Peace out. -Mez**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okie dokie. Here's chapter four. Looking at maybe two or three more chapters. We'll have to see. I have a basic idea on how this all ends but I'm mostly winging it. Thank you to Kaia the lovely guest and other mysterious guest for reviewing. New point of view by the way. Onward!**

* * *

Lila. Cooper.

They had been right there, doing the usual sibling arguing. As they had aged they'd started nitpicking each other, never anything serious and they certainly didn't tolerate others doing it to their siblings. Laura wasn't overly fond of Clint practically strutting out of the principal's office smiling and radiating pride whenever Cooper or Lila got in trouble for defending each other or others.

Reaching his old room in the compound Clint closed the door, letting out a sigh as he held the glove against his chest. He'd needed a moment alone when he got back, the others could see that, so he'd slipped away, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he had been home, just for a moment, with his family. His wife and kids.

Because Tony had managed to make a time machine. Damn Stark.

"Did it work?"

Clint, weaponless, could only fall into his instinctual defensive stance at the sudden voice in his room. With his training Clint was nearly immune to surprises. There were very few exceptions to the rule though. And one of them was standing a few feet away.

"Bucky?" He hadn't seen the man since Germany but he did know he'd managed to get the triggers out of his head. But sadly not the memories. Even Clint still had some problems with that.

"Not Bucky."

The man wearing the jeans, navy shirt, and dark jacket certainly looked like Bucky Barnes. The identity denial was getting his defenses up. "I'm sorry man, you look like Barnes. You one of Stark's Life Model Decoys?"

The doppelganger let out growl, sounding more frustrated than aggressive. "Fucking Rogers. I'm Bucky but not. All the pain and torture Hydra did to him over the decades broke his mind and made alternates personalities to protect what was left."

"So DID." That made a lot of sense to Clint. He knew in most cases the abuse started in childhood and reared its ugly head when they were older. But with as much shit as Hydra put Bucky through it didn't surprise him. "So you one of his alters?"

The other man nodded. "Sully. The name was Jamie's idea."

Jamie. Wanda. Shit. There was the other ache. He'd known, he wasn't sure how he'd known but Natasha had pretty much confirmed it for him on the ride back to the States.

"Did it work, Barton? The time travel thing?"

Right, he'd asked that question when he walked in. "Yeah." Clint lifted the glove. "Got this from my house. We needed to know if we could bring something back. Managed to grab this-"

Suddenly Sully was grabbing his upper arms in a vice grip, just shy of shaking him, eyes suddenly wet. "It worked? It really worked?"

Clint paused, releasing the tension from his unexpected tackle. This person, on the brink of sobbing, this had to be Bucky. He soften his eyes, voice gentle. "Yeah man, it worked. We're gonna get them back."

The larger man fell, Clint scrambling to help ease him to the floor. He stayed crouched down with his former teammate, just being a presence, hoping it helped. Bucky didn't make a sound, just sat with his arms wrapped around his knees pressed up against his chest, his entire frame trembling.

After a good fifteen minutes, the super soldier seemed to have worked though his emotions, lifting his head and meeting Clint's gaze.

"You good?" The archer asked, confidant that he was talking to Bucky and not his alter.

"Yeah."

The other man's voice was raspy, like he hadn't used it in awhile. Considering what they had lost Clint wouldn't be surprised if Sully had taken over for a good portion of the past five years. Hell, he knew he'd like to be able to fade away and have someone else face the day.

"We're really gonna get them back?"

It was asked with such softness Clint knew he was only able to hear it because of his Stark aids. He studied the man hunched over across from him. This was definitely Barnes. The man's mass was so intimidating Clint, when he first met him, had noticed he hunched slightly, to keep from looming.

"Yeah." Clint's kept his voice strong, confidant. Bucky needed to hear it as much as he did. "We're gonna get them all back."

The large brunet nodded at his words, finally uncurling and face setting in determination, which switched to awkwardness when he finally looked around. He stood up, subtly wiping at his face. "Sorry I should let you rest."

"Steve know you're here? Pietro?" From the too long pause and slight grimace Clint knew their leader and Wanda's brother was none the wiser.

"No, Sully didn't want to clue me in case this plan didn't work. I…" At this point Bucky shuffled back and forth a bit, hands clenching and unclenching. "I didn't…I didn't take what happened five year ago well."

"Yeah man, neither did I." Wasn't that the truth. It was something he was gonna have to work through. When they got his family back would he tell Laura what had become of him? He really didn't want to, but he knew he would. He had too. She had known what he'd done before working with Shield, he just hoped she didn't care like she hadn't back then. That she still loved him regardless of the fresh blood on his hands.

Barnes went to move around him but paused, looking at Clint for a second before reaching his hand into his jacket's inner pocket, bringing out what looked like a few photographers. The brunet held them out to the archer.

Clint gently took them from him, knowing exactly what they were. And he wasn't disappointed. Wanda and an older Jamie, at least three years old, were smiling at him with blue hats on. He smirked at the white embroidered 'B.' "Brooklyn Dodgers huh?"

He glanced up in time to see a small smile flash across Bucky's face, "Yeah. Still pissed they moved though."

"You and Steve both." He switched to the next photo, this one of Jamie and Barnes grinning to the camera. He chuckled. "Me and Lila don't look alike so I don't believe that whole thing about the first-born daughter looking like the dad but shit man, she's definitely your mini-me."

When he looked up at Bucky he was expecting an agreeing smile or nod but what he got was wide eyes and a gaping mouth. "What?"

Bucky seemed speechless but he pulled himself together. "H-how did you know? When did you know?"

Clint was a little confused. "About what? You, Wanda, and Jamie?" He got a nod. Which made the blond frown, arching an eyebrow in disbelief. "You mean no one knows you're Jamie's dad?"

Bucky shook his head. "They do now. At least most of them. Steve found out after Siberia, Tony a few days ago, and Romanoff probably knows, I just don't know for how long. I don't think Rhodes, Thor, or Banner know. Or Scott. When did you know?"

Clint switched to a new picture, this one of Jamie laying on the floor reading a book, using a large dog as a pillow. "Jamie's first birthday."

"But how? Did Wanda tell you?"

"No, even after I figured it out she didn't tell me or really anyone I think. For a second I thought Steve knew because Wanda made him Godfather but I think she did it because of how important he is to you. But yeah, at the party I smeared cake on Jamie's face." Clint paused to laugh. "Bit of a tradition in my house. We all thought it was funny but man, she had the scariest glare I've ever seen on a baby. Course it took me a second to realize where I'd seen that same look before, even if it was just pictures. All I had to do was connect the dots."

Bucky stayed quiet so Clint switched to a new photo, one that made him pause. The arrangement of everyone, the attire. Could it be? "Is this what I think it is?"

The brunet gave a faint smile. "Yeah."

Clint let out a breath, eyes tracing the girls' smiles. "They look beautiful." Wanda had married Barnes. Wanda was _married_. His chest throbbed ever so slightly. "Sorry I missed it."

"Not entirely." Clint looked up at the other man's words, who shrugged before continuing. "It was a Wakandan soul binding ceremony. Ancient stuff, a little more serious than a wedding. In the eyes of Wakanda and its people me and Wanda are married. To the rest of the world, not so much. Shuri could have faked some papers but Wanda…she didn't want to have a wedding if everyone couldn't be there. Especially you."

Clint fought the burn in his eyes, nodding at Bucky's words as he switched to the next photo, which promptly took his breath away. The small family were lounging on a couch, big smiles all around but Bucky had one of his hands on Wanda's large swollen stomach. He flipped to the next picture and had to hold himself back from gripping too hard.

They were in front of a large lake, Jamie sitting on Barnes' shoulders, arms raised in triumph, but both Wanda and the super soldier were holding a toddler each. The little girl in Wanda's arms definitely favored her mother in features, but still had the steel blue eyes of her father like Jamie.

The boy on the other hand was a good blend of his parents. The hair color was Bucky's but the texture had a hint of Wanda's soft waves. Her round face and lips but his eyebrows and nose. However the small boy, unlike his sisters, had inherited his mother's soft jade eyes.

"Shit, they're…they're beautiful." Clint stumbled through the words, looking up at Bucky only to see the brunet's eyes shine with building tears. Clint turned away, trying to give the other man time to compose himself, chuckling as he noticed something. "We're kinda opposite, you and me. I got two boys and a girl while you got two girls and a boy. I don't envy you man." He took one more look, trying to memorize the smiles before handing the pictures back. "What-what are their names?"

Barnes took the photos back, gently holding them and gazing down at the faces beaming back at him. "Stephanie and Alec. Alec's the oldest by seventeen minutes."

Clint smiled. "Stephanie, huh? For Steve?"

Barnes nodded, small grin pulling at his lips as he put the pictures away. "Yeah, Punk was too stubborn to leave me alone. Managed to bring me back. That led me to Wanda. I owe him." At that point the brunet's smile faded and he glanced up at Clint, now looking unsure, nervous.

Which made the archer nervous. "What?"

"We, uh." Bucky gave a small cough. "We, Wanda and me, we…gave him your name."

Clint froze, his voice hoarse, mind blanking out. "What?"

The super soldier radiated nervousness, clenching and unclenching his hands, playing with the end of his sleeves. "When we found out we were gonna have a boy, we choose the name Alec to honor Wanda's European roots but for the middle name? It wasn't even a choice. She...she really looks up to you. You gave her strength in Sokovia, after Sokovia, a purpose, a reason to use her powers. To become an Avenger. You gave her a family. And…" Barnes took in a breath.

"And you took care of them when I couldn't. You and your family helped mine when I didn't even know about them." Barnes looked a bit angry but Clint was sure it wasn't toward him. "When-when we found out that Wanda was pregnant, all I could think about was what happened those years ago. Wanda in Sokovia, a prisoner of Hydra, separated from her brother and pregnant with Jamie. Fucking Hydra had Wanda and my baby girl as prisoners. As experiments!"

Barnes paused and Clint watched warily as the super soldier calmed himself with slow breaths. He picked where he left off.

"The way I was raised, you didn't abandon your girl. Didn't abandoned your child. Not like some of these so-called men in this day and age, these fucking fat-head cowards. I was gonna be there every step of the way. But I wasn't there for her with Jamie, you were. So when we found out about Alec, it was easy."

Clint nodded, caught up in what Barnes had told him. Wanda had given her son his name. He knew he had done the same with Nate and Pietro but that was because the speedster had saved his life. Clint…Clint hadn't done anything incredible like that. He'd just been there, as a friend or whatever the three Sokovians had needed at the time. To have her do that, it blew his mind.

"So," He gave a small cough, getting rid of the hoarse quiver of his voice. "So…Alec Clint Barnes?" Bucky nodded, emotions seemingly under control and a small curling of his lips. The realization hit him. There was a child named after him. He was important enough to someone to warrant such an honor. And suddenly he chuckled. "Bet Pietro pouted like a baby."

Bucky rolled his eyes. "You have no idea. T'Challa too."

This time Clint grinned. He beat out the King of Wakanda and Wanda's own brother. He was feeling pretty good right now.

"I'll leave you to it. I took up too much of your time." Barnes was on the move, maneuvering around the archer before he could stop him.

"Hold up." The brunet looked over his shoulder at the blond. "There's a meeting tomorrow, you coming?"

Barnes's eyes went blank for a second before he gave a stiff nod. "Yeah. I'll be there."

Without even a whisper the super soldier, the other desperate father of the group, was gone. Clint hoped he'd be at the meeting.

**~~~Lighthouse~~~**

Bucky wasn't at the meeting. Granted, Clint allowed, the meeting hadn't even started yet so technically Barnes wasn't late or a no-show. At least for now.

"We all ready?" Tony announced and Clint twitched in his seat. Throughout the room the others had spread themselves, Pietro and Natasha close by. The archer let out a sigh. Guess he was a no show.

"Room for one more?"

The whole room froze, only for a second before the best friend and brother-in-law recovered first.

"Bucky?"

"James?"

Clint watched as Barnes edged into the room, shoulders hunched slightly, his gaze jumping from person to person. Yeah, this was definitely Barnes. The archer gave a nod when those slate blue eyes landed on him.

"Bucky, you-you're here. What are you-I thought…I thought Sully wasn't gonna tell you?" Steve looked confused and maybe even hopeful.

"Well, Sully came over here yesterday, camped outside and watched the place. He saw what happened with Clint and he snuck in to get confirmation. That's when he told me." The brunet nodded his head at the screens where the infinity stones hovered. "I want in. If…if it'll get the others back, I want in."

Clint watched as stricken expressions flitted across both Steve and Tony's face before smoothing out. Of course, Barnes had said they knew. The two leaders glanced at each other before Tony waved at Bucky. "No loitering at the door Ice Bear, get in here. The more the merrier."

Clint let out a breath, glad that the hostility Tony held for the former, unwilling, assassin was absent. But he was taken aback when Scott suddenly stood and walked up to the super soldier.

"Hey." He started, his voice more subdued than Clint had ever heard him. "I heard about what happened and I just wanna say that whatever it takes, we're gonna get them back. I lost Hope but if I had lost Hope and Cassie? I don't know man. But with this plan, we can get them back, Wanda and your daughter. We'll get them back, I promise."

And like that Clint watched the confusion and bewilderment cross over Bruce and Rhodey's faces at what was just revealed. Thor seemed slightly dazed but that could be from the alcohol. Neither Rocket or Nebula seemed to care and Natasha, by the expression on her face, she had already known. How long, he wasn't sure but she had known about Jamie. He wondered if she knew about their marriage and the twins too.

"What daughter?"

"You're Jamie's dad?"

More questions filled the air and Steve had to raise his voice. "Alright enough. Yes, Bucky is Jamie's dad. This was back before the whole D.C. thing."

"So they really were dating?" This came from Rhodey and Clint wondered how the suspicion even started.

"No." All eyes turned to Barnes but he was looking at Rhodey and Bruce. "Me and Wanda are married."

This got more reactions, this time from Natasha and Rocket too. His Russian friend only let her eyes widen before schooling her face into calm while Rocket exclaimed, "You and Missy Magic Hands are hitched?"

Scott had an interesting response. His face split into a wide smile and he reached out, taking a hold of one of Bucky's hands and started shaking. "Oh my god. Congratulations. I'm glad you two worked it out, that's great."

"Okay, we're getting off topic." Steve spoke, trying to get the room back under control.

The brunet soldier glanced at his friend. "Full disclosure Steve. Friday?"

On Bucky's command one of the holo-screens changed, showing the same picture Clint had seen yesterday of the Barnes quintet. The whole room quieted, realization settling in. Scott patted Bucky on the shoulder, "We'll get them back."

"We done?" Steve asked the room and everyone nodded. Everyone except Clint. He raised his hand, earning a confused look from Steve and Barnes while Tony quirked an eyebrow.

"You serious right now?"

"I'm just curious." Clint started, and he really was. He turned his attention to Scott. "How did you know, Lang? About Jamie and Bucky?"

"Clint…" Steve sighed but Tony lifted a finger in the air.

"No, I concur with Barton. I just found out about, well everything, a couple days ago. Steve knew since when? After Siberia?" Steve nodded and Tony continued with his spiel. "Natashalie found out…"

Natasha picked up were he left off. "I knew about Jamie and Barnes after Germany but I didn't know about their marriage or the twins until just now."

Tony turned to Rhodey and Bruce. "Platypus and Hulka Burnin' Love over there had no idea about anything until just now. And Thor is…" Said Thunderer was sitting in the corner, silent with sunglasses on. "Thor is Thor. Pietro I would assume knew."

"Of course." The Sokovian spoke for the first time, doodling on some paper and ignoring the chaos of the room.

"Clint apparently knows, everything?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I knew about Jamie and Barnes since her first birthday and I found out about their married life and the twins yesterday."

"Really? Her first birthday?" Pietro asked, looking surprised.

Clint glanced over at him. "They got the same angry face." Pietro nodded in agreement.

"See!" Tony exclaimed. He turned eyes on Scott. "That just leaves the Borrower. So how did you know? When did you know?"

Scott looked confused, taking everyone's expressions. Finally he gave a small huff. "Well, I didn't know about his other kids or their marriage, again congratulations by the way but I knew about him being Jamie's dad since the parking garage."

"Parking garage?" This time Bucky seemed intrigued. "At the airport? In Germany? You've known since we first met?"

Scott shrugged. "Well yeah. I mean, I spent that whole plane ride entertaining her, playing games and whatnot. Your daughter's a genius by the way, it's amazing. And when I met you, it was kinda obvious. You two are practically copies. But I think it's a parent thing. You just notice stuff like that."

"You serious? That's all it took. Even Capsicle didn't know and they're BFF's."

Now Scott looked defensive. "Well, that wasn't all. They kept looking at each other when the other wasn't looking and when they did catch each other it was all nervous smiles or nods. Plus their body language in general was kinda awkward but they watched out for each other during the fighting." He shrugged his shoulders. "I figured they were exes."

Looking back Clint could see how Lang would think that. He did remember seeing them constantly looking at each other from across the garage, very middle school-esque. He'd also been keeping an eye on Wanda during the fight and he'd seen her stop T'Challa from ripping out Barnes' throat. She'd looked panicked. And then there had been the time the soldier covered her with his body when Rhodey had shot at them.

"Okay he's got a point." Pietro agreed, nodding at Lang.

Clint lifted a couple fingers. "I second that. And since I've known longer than everyone here, not counting Pietro, I think he's right about the parent thing."

"Are we done now?" sighed Steve, hands on hips.

"Don't be such a punk," scoffed Barnes, walking past to settle on the couch in the back.

"Alright," Tony announced again, hands raised. "We should probably start before Cap has eagles. Avengers, time to work for a living."

* * *

**Yes, if you read Mirage I did have Scott paying a bit of attention to Bucky and Wanda. That was kind of a foreshadowing bit. Hope you guys liked it. Also because it's my fan fiction, there are enough particles for everyone. So suck it. Let me know what you guys think. Peace out. -Mez**


	5. Chapter 5

**Road trip! Let's see what we can see. Or what could go wrong. Thank you to Kaia, my lovely guest reviewer. Means a lot to me. Now onward.**

* * *

When picking teams to retrieve the stone, there had been only one option for Bucky. New York had been a close second but it was too much of a risk. Either someone from Hydra would see Bucky, which he really didn't want, or Steve would see Bucky. Again, not something they wanted to happen.

So, considering the simplicity of the other places the only stop that made sense for Bucky was Asgard.

The Brooklynite was built like an Asgardian and his serum-enhanced physical abilities would help if they had to fight any of Thor's people.

Pietro had originally been assigned to Clint and Natasha's team but the others had worried about sending Thor back to Asgard so the Sokovian had been switched to Bucky's team, though New York had also been a close second. But that was scrapped for the same reason they couldn't send Bucky.

While the American-based Hydra agents might not recognize the speedster, the Avengers sure would, especially since they would be meeting that timeline's Pietro in three years.

Besides, Pietro was such an unknown that he'd be a forgotten face to the Asgardians, as long as they stayed away from that timeline's Thor.

It should have been easy.

Travel within the quantum realm was something Bucky would never forget. The anticipation on the platform, the adrenaline picking up, and then the floor disappearing under his feet. He let the GPS' do their job, disciplining his body to not flail about lest he get lost or spit out somewhere else.

Yeah, arriving was the easy part. Everything else was a downhill sprint.

"How the hell did we lose Thor? The man's huge." Pietro was pissed and looking anxious at the turn of events.

He wasn't the only one. Bucky knew this had been a bad idea, sending Thor, depressed and unstable, back to Asgard.

To an Asgard that was still there, that still had its people, had his family. But they'd had no choice, he was the only one who knew how to traverse the palace, using shortcuts and keeping to shadows.

And then the man had seen his mother and started to spiral. Even though Bucky knew what it was like to have panic attacks, understood the man's mental state, he wanted to shake him. They were here, so close to getting everyone back, his family back, it drove him crazy.

Then Rocket had slapped the man and seemed to talk him down. But then they'd turned their backs and the former Prince was gone. But this was also the reason they had sent Bucky and Pietro to Asgard with the original pair.

"I'll go find him. Here." Bucky gave the canister to Pietro. The brunet had asked Bruce to whip it up in this event. "Get in, get out. I'll find you afterward."

Leaving his brother-in-law and Rocket to their task, Bucky moved through the palace, looking down each hallway for the wayward king. He'd had to hide once from the guards but they'd moved on quickly and he was able to keep going.

The sudden pair of screams that echoed were far away enough that if it hadn't been for his advanced hearing he wouldn't have heard them and he followed the source to Thor but also the man's mother.

"Queen Frigga. Prince Thor." Bucky greeted in an English accent, placing a closed fist over his heart and bowing. "I heard the screams and came to investigate. Is all well?" God he hoped that was how they talked here. When he'd asked Thor during the planning stages he hadn't been all that helpful considering how much alcohol he'd drunk.

Bucky at least knew he looked the part, having stopped by the Guard's stock room to collect the armor, knew he sounded like he belonged, but it was the words that confused him.

Thor gave a shake of his head but the Queen only smiled at him, in a way that reminded Bucky of his Ma when she saw right through his lies.

"Life has not been kind to you either, has it?" Her smile turned sad for a moment before she beckoned to the two men. "Come, we'll head to my study."

Bucky wanted to lashed out. They didn't have time for this! But he went along with Thor and his mom to her suite, keeping to the door as look out. He almost did lash out when he realized Thor was telling her _everything_. But he could see the change in Thor, the calm overtaking him and Bucky bit his tongue.

The Brooklyn native had had his therapy, had been able to work through everything with the doctors in Wakanda. He couldn't very well begrudge the man for wanting to talk to his mom, especially if it pulled him from the void he was spiraling into.

For the sake of privacy he zoned out a bit, his focus on the corridors outside the room and the mental bond he'd forged with his brother-in-law by way of Wanda's scarlet. So far it was quiet so either everything had gone well or they still hadn't gotten the stone yet.

"And you, you've had quite the life as well." The woman's words brought him back, turning to see her watching him, a certain glint in her eyes. "You've been wronged. So very wronged."

His immediate reaction was to deny but he stopped himself. That was something he'd learn during his time in Wakanda, to not deny what happened to him. "I have been wronged. Tortured and brainwashed, made to hurt or kill people. But I fought back, I survived. I flourished."

"And now you are here, helping to bring back the lost souls. To bring back your family." Her smile was soft and it made Bucky look down at his feet.

_"James, we got it! We're heading your way."_

Pietro's voice had his head snapping toward the door. _"Alright. See you in a bit. And just to let you know, Thor got busted by his mom. We're in her study."_

He glanced at the other two people in the room, Thor looking back questioningly while Queen Frigga only nodded, giving off a serene smile. Bucky suddenly felt his stomach drop. Thor had said she'd die today. Shit.

**~~~Lighthouse~~~**

"I can't believe he fucking left. What the hell?!" Pietro hissed. This was suppose to be simple. Get Thor to charm Foster, stab her with the containment vial, and leave. But no, the man had had to run off. And Pietro understood, he did but-**fuck** they were so close to getting everyone back. Wanda, his nephew and nieces. Luka would know his aunt and cousins in person and not just from stories and pictures on the wall.

He'd be able to introduce Luka to Clint's kids, reunite Jamie with the Barton clan while also bringing Stephanie and Alec into the fold. All three families together for a barbeque on a Sunday. Hell, the whole Avengers, both former and current together peacefully.

But then Thor had to **fuck it up.**

"God damn it," muttered Pietro, watching as James disappeared around a corner, leaving him and Rocket to sneak into the scientist's room. He waved sharply at the raccoon. "Come on."

"You got a new plan now that we lost Tubby?"

"Maybe." Going left down the hallway, following along the same wall that shared most of Jane's suite, Pietro paused when finding a large window. Taking a look around he poked his head out slightly, seeing no one. Deeming the coast clear the Sokovian leaned further out and turned his head to the right. Perfect. Foster's room came with a balcony.

"Alright, I'm gonna pick you up." Rocket protested immediately to his manhandling but Pietro didn't have time to explain. He did say one last thing to him though. "Don't tense up."

The world blurred and Pietro did a quick circuit around some pillars to pick up more speed before he leapt out the window, catching the lip with one hand and throwing himself sideways. He was surprised he didn't damage the palace wall when he ran across it but he made it to the balcony easily, hiding in the curtains next to the opened archway.

Luckily Rocket still had enough control to not yell at him, taking deep, steadying breaths all the while growling and grumbling under his breath.

Once he put the raccoon down Pietro peeked into the room, seeing the petite brunette resting on a blue couch. She looked like she was sleeping but her breaths weren't quite deep enough.

Taking the canister James had given him, the speedster flicked the nozzle open, keeping a finger on the opening to keep the fumes inside. Rocket caught on, pointing at the can and then mimicking sleep. With a nod, Pietro flashed through the room, placing the container underneath the couch, the gas silently wafting around the resting woman.

He was back outside with Rocket in the same second and they watched as Jane seemed to furrow her eyebrows, possibly detecting something was wrong but soon her face slackened and her body went limp. They waited another minute more to be sure before Pietro ran back in to seal and take away the canister.

The Sokovian had them wait a little bit longer, letting any lingering fumes dissipate before they moved in.

"Where'd Barnes get the gas from?" Rocket asked, hopping on the back of the couch.

Pietro tilted his head, studying the sleeping woman. Her breaths were deep and slow, indicating heavy slumber. He tapped at the skin in the inner corner of her eyes. No reaction. "James had Bruce make it. It was his back-up plan if Thor couldn't get us close."

Rocket raised his eyebrow. "Smart guy. We'd be screwed otherwise. How's Pretty Pants?"

Pietro nodded. "She's out. We should be good."

From his pouch Rocket pulled out the extractor that Tony had made, a small foil-sealed alcohol wipe, and a tube of lidocaine.

Pietro spread the anesthetic on the back of Jane's upper arm, not sure what the drug would do to his animal teammate, making sure to sanitize the area with the alcohol pad just as Bruce had told them. Finally Rocket held up the extractor and its concentrated cluster of needles.

It had been quite the argument about the needles used to pull the reality stone from Jane. There had been talk of using a three prong system, the needle size maybe less than a six gauge. James had been for the option of using possibly a thirty-two gauge, going as low as twenty-two, and using a lot more then just three needles.

The argument had gone to James once he brought up the fact that the liquid gem wouldn't take kindly to its host being in pain, caused by such a large gauge. More of the thin needles had been added to the design to lessen the strain of the extraction process and then been approved by the team.

"Ready?" Rocket asked, hovering over Jane's form.

The Sokovian nodded, tense with anticipation and ready to pull the small creature out of harm's way should the stone react.

The needles were inserted and they watched as the red swirls underneath the woman's skin gathered at the injection site. But seeing as Jane had hardly flinched, there was no violent response like the ones Thor had reported.

Pietro held his breath as one wispy reality tendril reached out to where the needles were buried, to investigate he was sure, and suddenly the canister came to life, filling rapidly with the red miasma as it was steadily drained from the sleeping woman.

A click sounded and Pietro gently removed the containment tube, eyes on Jane and the floating liquid. Neither stirred.

Wide-eyed he shared a look with Rocket whose bewildered smile swiftly changed into a grin. "We got it."

Not wasting a second, the pair took off toward the door, peeking out to make sure it was clear before they left the room and slinked off to hide in a dark corner of the corridor.

"Can't believe we got it." Rocket said, gripping at the fur of his head. His smile dimmed. "Well shit. Now we gotta find Barnes and Tubby."

Pietro handed the metal tube to the raccoon for safe keeping. "That's the easy part."

Dipping into his own mind, the white-haired man felt for the familiar presence, tugging at it when he found it.

_"James, we got it! We're heading your way."_

It took a second for the reply to come through. _"Alright. See you in a bit. And just to let you know, Thor got busted by his mom. We're in her study."_

Pietro nudged Rocket as he honed in on the mental trail that would lead them to his brother-in-law. "This way. And apparently they got busted by Thor's mother."

His furry companion made a snarky remark about Thor's sneaking abilities that had Pietro chuckling, light-hearted at the fact that they were that much closer to getting everyone back.

Their plan was working.

* * *

**Yeah I know it's short. I haven't started the next chapter yet but I feel like its gonna be hard to type up. And yes I did change the design of the extractor thing they made. The needles were like the size of a freaking straw! Also I wonder if the reality stone becomes solid when in the presence of the other stones? That's my headcanon. Let me know how you feel about this chapter. See you later. Peace out. -Mez**


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